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Lateral inhibition in the inner retina is important for spatial tuning of ganglion cells

Nature Neuroscience volume 1, pages 714–719 (1998)Cite this article

Abstract

The center–surround receptive-field organization in retinal ganglion cells is widely believed to result mainly from lateral inhibition at the first synaptic level (in the outer retina). Inhibition at the second synaptic level (in the inner retina) is thought to mediate more complex response properties. Here we show that much of the sustained surround antagonism in certain on-center ganglion cells results from lateral inhibition in the inner retina, via GABAergic amacrine cells, and that the lateral conduction of this signal requires voltage-gated sodium currents. Blocking lateral inhibition in the inner retina eliminates the preference of small-center ganglion cells for small stimuli but has little effect on ganglion cells with large receptive-field centers. These results illustrate how lateral inhibition at successive synaptic stages can selectively control the size of neural receptive-field centers.

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Figure 1: TTX alters the receptive-field organization of on-center ganglion cells.
Figure 2: TTX does not block lateral interactions in outer retina.
Figure 3: Effects of picrotoxin and strychnine on receptive-field profiles of on-center ganglion cells.
Figure 4: Effects of TTX, strychnine and picrotoxin on the response of an on-center ganglion cell to surround illumination.
Figure 5: TTX blocks the conductance increase produced by surround illumination.
Figure 6: Effect of TTX on receptive-field profiles of on-center ganglion cells with different receptive-field center sizes.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by research grant EY01653 and core grant EY07003 from the National Eye Institute.

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  1. Department of Physiology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, 48109-0622, Michigan, USA

    Paul B. Cook & John S. McReynolds

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Correspondence to Paul B. Cook.

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Cook, P., McReynolds, J. Lateral inhibition in the inner retina is important for spatial tuning of ganglion cells. Nat Neurosci 1, 714–719 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1038/3714

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